A touch of the heart
by t11baf
Summary: A shared love between siblings is always hardest to give up when they die. But it won't stop you will it? Warning:Contains death of character, Zelette, and some mild language that may be found profound. Alicia the muse is mine. I named her after her aunt


**I hate to do this but this a one-shot involving a beloved OC and his sister**

**Alicia: You don't love Braden too much;sure Jonah Ariella I and some others, but Braden I disagree**

**Alicia,if you want to end up like your Aunt Alicia keep on talkin',see if I care C;**

**Alicia: Fine;humph my mistress owns nothing but the story,Ariella and Braden**

It was a crisp summers' day out in Iselia. Birds chirped bees hummed and nothing couldn't bring a young five-year old girl to be upset. She swung in around in circles with her older brother while she smiled as her red hair blew in her face,she became dizzy and saw stars before she fell on her tush.

Her dearly beloved brother, Braden, crouched on a knee on told her

"Whoa Sis,what a wipeout!Ya okay?" He kissed her on the forehead as his soft shirt brushed against her pale skin. She smiled; she loved Big Brother Braden's kisses.

"Yeah Big Brother don' worry 'bout me I'm fine but my butt hurts some" She blushed as her brother picked her bridal style and walked her to their home which was about half a mile away. She was tired of bridal style,she wanted a piggy-back ride which she hadn't got in a while.

"Big Brother can I have a piggy-back ride?" She asked as her big blue eyes glistened in the sunlight giving Braden her genuine grin.

"How could I say no to that face?" He cooed as he let slide out of his hands while she giggled and Braden helped her put her arms on his shoulders

"Big Brother?" Ariella asked her brother while fiddling with a light teal ribbon that kept her hair up

"Yeah Sis?" He kept an angelic mask secured on his sorrowed soul

"Big Brother,will you always be there for me?"

"Of course I will Ariella,you know that I will; please stop worrying me, you're making my heart sink" Ariella laughed but Braden's look that he gave her only minutes ago was still solemn...

"Oh who am I kiddin' li'l lady!?Ready to go home?" He gave her a glistening white grin. She blushed and nodded. Her brother was so silly sometimes but she thought it was cute in a way...

_So Big Brother will always be with me?I hope so,because if he dies I won't forgive myself- my fault or not._

It was only about two years later when IT happened. It was May sixth,Ariella's birthday and Braden had to pick up a present from Luin. He hadn't made it too far and saw a familiar field where he and Ariella had played in about a year ago. _If I ever die,_ He told himself _ I want to buried right there- underneath the huge Sakura tree _The boy walked on before he forgot what he was doing. Only within ten minutes, he was surrounded by what looked like Desians _Didn't Mom,Dad the Irvings and their friends kill them about five years ago!?Damn, I don't even have any weapons on me except for these stupid wings I got about a year ago!What I am supposed to do!? _

A rather fat one came,picked him up by his shirt and held a knife at his throat

"Hey punk,got any goods?"

"What's it to ya fat-ass?"

"Shut yer smart ass or you'll get it!" The knife edge closer to his throat

"Make me." And with that,the jagged blade of the knife made a thin but long slit in his throat. Droplets of blood ran from his throat to the right side of his shoulder pain tensed on his throat and he let out a shrill scream of pain. He ran a finger along his tanned throat to see if it was real. His finger came to his slate-colored eyes. It was bloody red. Other members of the man's group came in, encircling them;some hit at Braden with a flail,where gashes and blood tore at his clothes and tan skin. Others bashed at him with varying sorts of weapons one being a torch. The torch touched his skin like a hot coal,he looked at his skin,it burnt beyond the fiery depths of Hell. He then did the only thing he could do: Scream. The fat one who made the lad struggle let him down,while Braden sat on his knees in an almost fetal position while clutching his chest while his lungs burned from the pain it took to scream.

Ariella was out in a field while picking blackberries when she heard the scream. She at the moment didn't know who the faint scream came from,but she knew whoever he or she was in trouble and she was going to help. She ran,she ran while her skirt slightly moved in the light breeze. Thorns and prickles caught at her skirt,but she just didn't care. Along the way she lost a shoe,but she didn't complain,she wanted to save whoever was in danger. It was only a few short seconds later when she saw Braden screaming in pain,his eyes shut, tears forcing their way through.

"Big Brother!Open your eyes!" Braden heard the cries of his sister and his eyes snapped open,immediately widening out of the surprise.

"Ariella,Sis!Get away,they're killing me here!" He stumbled backwards,his jacket falling off and into the bloody grass.

"No they can't...Noooooooooooooooooooo!" Her echo of sorrow filled the entire clearing. She charged towards her brother in seconds,landing rather softly in his gut where it hurt.

_I wish I could protect her and her alone. Be her guardian angel and save her _Braden thought,tears almost coming from his eyes. Suddenly, the man-to-be felt warmth spread through his wounded body and burst from his chest and a green aura surrounded Ariella. The attackers of the two thought it was some sort of sick joke and attacked more, but only Braden took the damage. Within minutes, Ariella couldn't control herself. She lost her soul and it all became blank. She woke up lying on the ground,blood soaking her outfit,she looked over and saw that the sun had almost set;she also saw many unfamiliar people lying on their sides or backs or just sitting there screaming shrilly in pain like Braden had not so long ago. _Dead._ She suddenly Realized_ Most of these people... are dead because of me. I wish I knew what happened_ She told herself. A weak and hoarse cry caught her attention..

"Ariella,Sis,C'mere." It was Braden weakly calling out to her like that? She was surprised but walked over anyway.

"Oh my, Sis you look absolutely gorgeous!I'll miss you so much,but I promise I'll visit from Heaven. I'm sorry, I failed you; I promised I wouldn't leave you. Never. But I am now. I guess my promise was too big of a burden too keep. I failed you as a brother,I'm sorry" He smiled weakly while stroking her red hair and pale cheeks. Blood started to coat them,but she had no care; she was content with her bother then and there,no place else. The words touched her heart. She didn't want to hear them,she didn't, but it was reality and was happening and that she couldn't bear. While she laid at her brother's side she stroked his almost golden hair,then his slate eyes met her skye-blue ones and he told her

"I love you Ariella." And then they closed,never to open again. Ariella didn't want to believe it; she _wasn't _going believe but she had to face facts. Braden was dead. She laid her head against left upper chest were his heart laid silently. There was nothing. She started to cry and die on the inside;she sat on her knees,her head low crying while crystalline tears swept away the dew already on the grass. It started raining and she was still tear-bound when she heard two familiar voices.

"Ariella Angel?Are you out there?Please,somebody give me a sign that my two beautiful children are out here somewhere." It was the voice of her father Zelos Wilder

"Daddy!Mama!I'm over here!" Her father and mother rushed immediately to where Ariella was by the sound of their daughter's voice.

"Ariella where were you?Mama and I were worrying sick about you,now it's nightfall...we better get home soon. So what took you so long Angel-Face?" Colette smiled with a hint of curiosity as well as her husband who'd asked her the question. Ariella explained it as fairly and un-worriedly as possible. In the end,Colette was weeping every tear she had out her,Zelos comforting her as much as he could, with a wrap-up of Colette giving her husband and daughter a heart-warming speech about their child and what a good brother Braden was. In the aftermath Zelos picked up the corpse of his elder child and slung it delicately over his shoulders. In the morning, Braden was buried right under the giant Sakura where he had wanted

"_Ariella why do you think Braden would want to be buried here?"_

"_I just have a feeling is all."_

And later in mid-evening,they floated candles on lily pads in hope for their world to be rid of desians and for Braden to fly on to Heaven in the Afterlife. Ariella made a promise to herself on the way home:

_I promise for as long as I live,I will never fail to let another to die... even if it kills me. Braden that is my promise to **you**_

**Well,whad'ya think?I tried hard on this without a beta,so don't be too harsh,I wrote it with all my heart. This dedicated to all who believe in me and anybody who loves ToS or likes my OCs**

**Tom,thanks for all the constructive criticism you could give... you've been cheering for me all this time to never give up. And because of that I am grateful to you**

**My family and friends, for all the reasons I gave to Tom**

**And to Miz,thank you for helping me get through writing the death of Braden. Writing it made me agonize through it all but you helped me accept his fate like Ariella did. Thank you**

**Alicia: Is touched who knew such a grump like you be so poetic and hear-tearing?**

**Alicia,please hush you're ruining the moment. Review if ya want and have a good night or day.**


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